Ca3Fe3+2(SiO4)3
Andradite is a common and widespread calcium iron garnet. It can be various shades of brown, green (demantoid) or black (melanite) and can be difficult to distinguish from other garnet species such as grossular without analysis. Andradite occurs in skarns, schists and some igneous rocks. It commonly occurs as sharp distinct dodecahedra or trapezohedra crystals.
Selected Australian Occurrences:
- As brown crystals at Duckmaloi, New South Wales.
- At the Biggenden Mine, Queensland.
- As dark brown crystals at Mary Kathleen, Queensland.
- As green crystals at Mount Garnet, Queensland.
- As green crystals at Bundaleer, South Australia.
- At a number of locations in the Mount Lofty Ranges, South Australia.
- As small green chromium-rich crystals at the Avebury Nickel Mine, Zeehan, Tasmania.
- As small black crystals in syenite dykes at Cygnet, Tasmania.
- As dark brown crystals to 50+mm at the Kara Mine, Hampshire, Tasmania.
- As brown crystals in the King Island Scheelite Mine, King Island, Tasmania.
- As slightly rounded greenish crystals at Dookie, Victoria.
